Morning, Mulder!
by Nessy
Summary: Scully awakens next to Mulder-nothing happened-yet!


Title: Morning, Mulder!  
Authors: Nessy & Cirglas  
Rating:PG-13

Classification: MSR-What else? That's all you need in fanfic!  
Spoilers: Red Museum  
Keywords: Mulder/Scully Romance  
Summary: Scully awakens next to Mulder-nothing happened-yet!  
Feedback: Please!  
Post: Wherever you want.  
Disclaimer: Not ours. Sigh...  
Author's Notes: Hi, We're back! Miss us? Hope so. Thanx for  
helping, Muuh!!! To everyone else: ...We need... more ...of  
that ...feedback... HELP!... STARVING!

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Morning, Mulder!

By Nessy & Cirglas

Scully shook off the last bits of her dream. It had been a  
strange dream. Something about Mulder but she didn't quite  
know how to place it. She only knew that she had woken up  
with a very content feeling lingering inside her. And that  
feeling had remained right up until now. Even though she knew  
her heater was broken, and it surely wasn't more than 40  
degrees outside, she felt warm and comfortable.

/Probably has something to do with those strong arms around  
my waist, holding me tightly to that nice warm body right  
behind me... WAIT A SEC!/ She opened her left eye and rolled  
it around to see if she could see any clues at how she had  
gotten into this situation. /Um...did I miss something? Why  
is Mulder doing the 'spoon-thing' with me? And why are we  
still dressed?/

She shut her eye again and tried to remember what had  
happened. And then everything came back to her in a rush:  
Mulder's unexpected arrival at her door, the case file he had  
insisted she have a look at, their usual arguing; that she  
had invited him to stay for the night because he had seemed  
so exhausted; that he had woken her up when she had that  
nightmare, and - after some pleading on her side - had  
reluctantly climbed into her bed to comfort her.

/Well, I think I better get out of this situation fast,  
'cause I'll never hear the end of it if he wakes up and  
realizes how this looks./ She opened her eyes again and saw  
with relief that she was very close to the edge of the  
mattress anyway. Carefully she took hold of Mulder's left  
wrist and lifted his hand from her stomach and set it back  
down on his hip. Then she moved to scoot off of the corner of  
the bed.

But before she could move more than 3-4 inches away, his arm  
snaked around her middle again and held her even tighter than  
before. She smiled a resigning smile, then gave in to the  
contentment settling inside her at the nearness to her  
partner and best friend. /He would be SO embarrassed if he  
woke up now./ Stifling a chuckle at that thought she snuggled  
up closer to Mulder. Before drifting back off to sleep the  
last thing she thought of was /Good thing today's Saturday./

The next time Scully awakened she was still in the same  
position, spooned against Mulder's long frame. /It's crazy.  
Usually I'm such a restless sleeper. And here I am, not even  
moving an inch, and neither is he. Didn't he have problems  
with insomnia? Well, I guess they're gone./

Giggling softly at the idea that she was not the only one on  
the receiving end of this deal, she wondered how it came  
about that they felt so safe with each other. It wasn't like  
he could prevent anything from happening to her. Or the other  
way around. But she knew, he wouldn't leave anything untried  
to keep her safe. And vice versa. It wasn't that the security  
was utterly complete. It was just that nobody else would take  
better care of them then the respective other. And THAT  
they both knew.

This trust had grown so much in the last few years. They had  
saved each other's lives more often than they could count.  
And she was sure they had saved each other from crossing the  
line to insanity quite often, too. All those government  
conspiracies, aliens, mutants. Sure, they were a little  
paranoid -- letting the gunmen search their apartments for  
bugs each month, trusting no one but each other, being  
suspicious as soon as they heard the word 'truth' -- but  
still remotely sane - well, most of the time, at least.

In his sleep Mulder pulled her closer and she leaned her head  
back so it rested against his chin. /Ah...this is really  
nice. Too bad it can't happen more often./  
/Why not?/  
/BECAUSE: he is FORBIDDEN!/  
/Why?/  
/He's my partner./  
/And?/  
/It would make everything more complicated./  
/And?/  
/I don't want 'complicated'./  
/But if 'complicated' means 'nice'?/

A thoughtful pause.

/But if 'complicated' means 'nice?'/ That same nagging voice.  
/I can't have everything I want in life. That's how it goes./  
/Not everything. But HIM?/

/Did you say something?/  
/Leave me alone. I want to savior this feeling and not think  
about what I don't have./  
/Yet/  
/Huh?/  
/Not yet. You could have it. You know he likes you./

She snuggled up even closer to his frame and put her arms  
over the ones encircling her.

/I know. And that's another reason. If we got involved and  
something happened to me... he would be ... lost./  
/And now? Don't you think he would be devastated anyway?/  
/I know he would. But it would be too cruel to him. Or to me,  
if something happened to him. We both have lost too much  
already./  
/So make something out of your situation./  
/What do you mean?/  
/Make it worth while. Enjoy yourselves a little./  
/I don't know.../  
/You won't live forever. And look at him. You sure would miss  
something./

She turned around in his arms to face him. She rarely had the  
chance to study him while he slept. He almost never slept.  
And seeing him unconscious in a hospital bed sure wasn't the  
same thing.  
His face was relaxed, the lines around his eyes and mouth  
almost gone. His lips slightly parted and his breathing slow  
and steady. There was something very comforting about lying  
next to him in bed.

/Yeah, I guess I would miss a lot./  
/Then do something about it. I'm sure he wouldn't mind./  
Scully chuckled at that thought. /Nope, he probably  
wouldn't./

She put her right hand on his upper arm, and without really  
noticing it, she started to ...well...lightly massage his  
muscles there with her finger tips. /Hey, this is for his  
benefit. Not for mine. Really. Although it IS nice to touch  
him like this./

When she turned her eyes back to Mulder's handsome features,  
she was surprised to see his hazel/green eyes. /Funny, he  
sleeps with his eyes open./ Then reality hit her head on.  
/Oops/

She scooted away from him a little. "Sorry", was all she  
could get out.  
"S'okay" he mumbled and she realized he was still so sleepy  
he probably didn't even know why she was apologizing.

As if to confirm her suspicions, he pulled her close again.  
"Where you goin'? You're nice 'n' warm."  
She raised her right eyebrow at him and smiled because of his  
sleep-slurred words, but she didn't try to pull away again.

He shifted so he could pull her closer and buried his face in  
the nape of her neck.  
/Oh, well, why fight it?/ Scully thought and wrapped her arms  
around his neck. She asked quietly: "You sleep okay?"  
He nodded and she could feel his lips slide over her collar  
bone.

She shuddered. /This is strange. But definitely nice./ He  
tightened his hold on her as if he thought she was leaving.  
She wanted to reassure him. "I'm not going anywhere."  
"Good", he answered and in addition to his moving lips she  
could also feel his hot breath on her skin.

"You smell so good." His words made her blush uncontrollably.  
How did he do that? He made her react in a way she usually  
never did. And blushing was definitely one of those things.  
Since she didn't know how to answer, she simply didn't try.  
But she didn't need to: He was already in the land of dreams  
again.

She sighed and relaxed into his arms. She snuggled up to him  
because she felt cold - that was what she told herself.  
/This is going to be a LAZY MORNING./

And once again she drifted off towards sleep.

Mulder woke because of something tickling his nose. He moved  
his head a little so that it rested against something warm  
and soft. /I never knew my couch could be this comfortable.  
But who is knocking on the door this early in the morning?/

Then he realized that it wasn't the door. That thumping came  
from just below his right ear. It was a heart beat.  
/Wha-- wha's goin'on?/

His eyes opened to a blur of red. And a rosy, pouty mouth  
contrasted by fair skin. Red, rosy, fair. That could only  
mean one thing: The person he was lying next to was Scully.  
/What am I doing in Scully's bed?/ He didn't move away. Oh  
no, it felt way too good being that near to her. But he  
lifted his head to see if she was still asleep. And sure  
enough, she was.

Her soft dark eyelashes were resting on her exquisite cheek  
bones. As he watched her sleep, there in his arms, he felt a  
wave of protectiveness wash over him. She looked so fragile.  
And so beautiful. He promised himself that he wouldn't let  
anything happen to her ever again.

He lifted his head a little more to look at the clock. It  
read 11:23 - what really shocked him. /I think I have never  
slept this long in over 20 years. Must be because of her./  
Scully shivered in her sleep. Without thinking about it, he  
tightened his arms around her. /This isn't comfortable. Let's  
try - ah, yes, much better./

He had turned onto his back and had pulled Scully with him,  
so now her head rested on his right shoulder. Her answering  
mumble wasn't discernible. But he knew she was on the brink  
of waking up. /So we better pretend we don't enjoy this as  
much as we do./

"Hey, sleeping beauty, wake up."

"..."

"Come on. Rise 'n' shine."

"Please, gimme five more minutes. This is so nice." She  
nuzzled his ear.

He choked.

"Scully, I'm hungry, let's have breakfast."

That woke her up.

"Mulder?!" she asked, her head jerking up. But then she  
remembered and her shocked expression was replaced by a big  
grin. "Morning, Mulder!"

------

While she headed for the shower he padded over to the kitchen  
to see if he could find anything edible in there. /What a  
question. This is Scully's apartment. Not yours. There'll  
be something edible here./

So in the end he fixed some scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and  
some fruit. All the while whistling and trying not to think  
that a naked and very wet Scully was on the other side of the  
wall.

Just as he heard the water being turned off, he poured the  
orange juice, and as the toast popped out from the toaster,  
Scully came through the door.

"Wow, Mulder, this smells wonderful." He turned towards her  
and was taken aback by her appearance. She still only wore  
the white terry-cloth bathrobe. She looked down following his  
gaze sheepishly.

"When I smelled the food my stomach growled, so I decided to  
come here directly."

He smiled at her and swallowed. He could resist... yes, he  
could.

At least he thought so until he saw those perfect lips across  
from him suckle on the cantaloupe. /What's wrong with me?  
I've seen her eat hundreds of times./  
/Probably nothing's wrong with you. That's your problem. For  
the first time in your partnership your thoughts aren't  
preoccupied by something paranormal. So you're fully noticing  
her now./

/My problem right now is: She caught me staring!/  
"Mulder? What is it? Do I have some food on my chin?"  
Oh, oh. Not good. Images of a BBQ lunch flashed through his  
eidetic memory. How cute she had looked with that red streak  
on her chin. The way he had wiped it away without saying a  
word before he did so. Her look afterwards.

He returned to reality. She was smiling at him.  
"Um, ah...n-no. No food." He dipped his head to avoid her  
eyes. He swallowed the rest of the egg in his mouth and poked  
around on his plate nervously.

Her smile turned into a full grin. This 'Mulder-teasing' was  
fun. So she continued with it:  
"I'm asking because...you know...you've got some on your  
chin."

He swallowed and looked up again. She reached over with her  
right hand and wiped the jam from right below his lips with  
her thumb. But just as she was about to pull her hand back,  
his left hand gripped her wrist and brought her thumb to his  
mouth again. He locked eyes with her, closed his lips around  
her thumb and licked the jam off of it. Then he nibbled at it  
with his teeth.

In reaction, her eyes widened while sparks of electricity  
shot down her spine. How could he turn the tables on her so  
easily? And who turned up - repaired - the heating? She  
looked at him and said as calmly as her suddenly dry mouth  
would allow: "Mulder, I think we need to talk."

No, no, no. That had not been a good idea. And he sure didn't  
want to talk about his feelings for her. His actions had been  
performed against better judgment and although he had enjoyed  
it, he wished he had kept his mouth to himself. He had never  
thought he would make such a pass at Scully. Sure, he was  
attracted to her, but usually he had himself under control.  
But with Scully his control was wearing very thin. And when  
she touched him...

He had to find a way out of this situation. He didn't want to  
hear what Scully had to say.

"Um, Scully, I -I better ...um... go now." He got up from the  
table and headed for the living room, where his jacket was  
draped over the back of the couch he had slept on. That is,  
until he had climbed into her bed... Mulder gave himself a  
mental shake. /Better not think about that when you're about  
to leave./

Mulder thought it was best just to leave. He simply wanted to  
forget what had happened. He hoped Scully would do the same.  
But just as he was about to open the door, he felt a warm  
hand holding him back. He turned his head and looked at her.  
Her jaw was set in determination and her eyes shone of her  
stubbornness. He knew he wouldn't be able to sidestep this  
conversation.

"Mulder, you better not bail out now. I'm not finished with  
you. I want to have some things made clear. Once and for  
all."

"Uh, Scully, I don't think that's such a good idea. I really  
think I oughta go."

"Mulder, if you walk out that door now, you're really gonna  
be sorry later." He reluctantly let her push him back towards  
the couch, all the while thinking how devastated he would be  
after the 'let's-not-risk-our-partnership'-talk he knew she  
would give him. For the last years he had always had the hope  
that maybe someday they would... um ...come together.

Scully, on the other hand, was enjoying the show immensely.  
He squirmed and tried to elude her, and she could see his  
incredible mind working out scenarios about what would happen  
next. When they arrived at the couch she turned him around  
and pushed him backwards onto it. She herself remained  
standing, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her  
foot impatiently. Staring down at him with drawn-together  
eyebrows she had trouble not to let the smile out that so  
desperately wanted to show itself.

"Mulder. Now tell me: What was that over there all about?" He  
averted his eyes from hers. He looked like a misbehaving  
schoolboy being called to the principal's office.

"Didn't you like the breakfast I made?"

She was confused. What was he talking about? Didn't matter.  
He was trying to be evasive. With a resigning sigh she  
plopped down next to him. Finally he brought his gaze back to  
meet hers.

"Mulder, after five years you still can't admit it to me?" He  
looked away again, but she placed a hand under his chin and  
turned his head back to her. She shifted forward, took his  
face in her hands and with their noses almost touching, only  
a notch louder than a whisper, said:  
"Talk to me!"

Before she realized it, his lips were upon hers, exploring  
unknown territory. Unknown, until now. The small part of her  
that hadn't melted into a puddle of emotions observed with  
wonder her body's reactions to Mulder's nearness. Hot flashes  
attacked her, her boiling blood surging through her veins,  
electricity sizzling between them - for sure, enough to light  
the whole city. She felt high on oxygen deprivation. Soon the  
last of her control slipped and she gave herself willingly  
over into Mulder's hands.

After what seemed like an eternity, they broke the kiss for  
some labored breaths. Mulder, obviously not able to stop  
kissing her, worked himself down alongside her throat until  
he reached her left collar bone. She felt rather than heard  
his breathless words:  
"God, Scully, I've wanted to do that for soooo long." Scully  
had to giggle at the feeling of his breath against her  
exposed skin. Ah, she felt light and loved. It felt good.

------

Scully woke up with a very content feeling lingering inside  
her. And comfortable, with that warm body pressing to her  
back. A feeling of deja-vu settled over her. But something  
was different. /Oh, yeah, I remember!/. She smiled  
contentedly and snuggled up closer. Today they weren't  
dressed anymore and hadn't been for almost 24 hours, come to  
think of it. Her eyes still closed, she snuggled up closer to  
him while his arms tightened around her. With a smile she  
imagined waking up like this every morning from now on.

She noticed him stir and realized that Mulder was slowly  
waking up. He lifted his head from her shoulder and planted a  
kiss right behind her left ear. She chuckled at the still not  
quite familiar display of affection. His whispered words ran  
through her body and the comfortable feeling was intensified.  
"Morning, beautiful." Yeah, she would've missed a lot.

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Please, tell us what you think of it!  
Take care!

* * *

No one told me  
I was going to find you  
Unexpected what you did to my heart  
When I lost hope  
You were there to remind me  
This is the start.

----- At the Beginning (Anastasia)


End file.
